Just My Cup of Tea (ongoing)
by BrianndaCat
Summary: On a cold December night, Yuichiro Amane runs away from his home only to encounter fate by meeting tea master, Mikaela Hyakuya. The compassionate Mikaela offers Yuichiro a cup of hot tea and a place to stay. Throughout December, Mikaela makes a promise to help Yuichiro overcome his family issues and to be happy. Little does Yuichiro know that Mikaela is planning a surprise for him.
1. Chai

It was colder than usual today. Snow slowly fell down, covering the streets of Nagoya and the cars that were silently parked in the night. The tears that streamed down Yuu's red cheeks were nearly frozen and his nose, dripping wet. His small and fragile hands were red, his right one even more red as it grasped onto the handle of his dark green suitcase. However, Yuu did not really care about how he looked at the moment. He just needed to get away from _him_. He needed to conceal his cuts and bruises that sent him worried glances and unwanted pity from strangers. The only thing he couldn't mask was his pain. Pain wasn't a stranger to Yuu at all. He was used to it; getting abused by his adoptive "father", Guren. However, this night was different. The young adult hastily packed his bags and disappeared. Guren would not care about him missing at all. He could easily be replaced. Yuu was just a pet to him after all. Guren's own little play thing that he could beat around. Yuu has had enough with it. With all of this pain. He had to get away. But where would he go?

Mikaela stood patiently at the counter of his shop, closing his eyes as he relaxed himself with the sound of the classical music playing on the shop's radio. He was the only one working today. The sweet aroma of tea flowed through the vast space of the room. He could never get used to this feeling and the scent. It was just so soothing. The tall blond hummed along quietly to the familiar song that soon came on the radio, his lips curving up into a smile as he did so. " _Claire de Lune_ " had been one of his favorite pieces of music ever since he could remember. His mother had played it for him many times in his childhood. Young Mikaela would just sit next to her, leaning against her shoulder as she played; her fingers flowing from key to key. Mikaela had missed her dearly and would never forget her warmth and gentle touch. His mother had a compassionate soul, which she had eventually passed on to Mikaela. He was very much like his mother. Proper and kind. He always had a quirky smile on his face and would help anyone who called for it.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door bell jingled, causing Mikaela to suddenly glance across the room with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Hyakuya Tea Shop. What brings you here toda-". Mikaela was soon interrupted as the young dark-haired male slowly made his way toward the corner of the shop, taking a seat in one of the chairs as he rolled and placed his snow-covered suitcase next to him. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as they shimmered in the shop's low lighting. Mikaela blinked, slightly tilting his head at the stranger. He smiled softly and walked over towards the boy, with a bit of a worried expression. The boy shifted in his chair, attempting to hide his face from the blond with his black bangs. "Is everything alright?" Silence fell between the two of them and the boy just turned his head away, watching the snow fall outside. He seemed to be focused on other things at the moment. Things of which Mika did not know of. "Here. I'll be back okay?" Mikaela hurriedly walked away, making his way behind the counter and began to mix different substances into a saucepan, including some ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods and a slightly amount of black peppercorns. Yuichiro watched as Mikaela moved gracefully, mixing each of the ingredients together. Mikaela then started to crush all of the components together. The blond added water to the saucepan, bringing it to a boil and soon reduced the heat, eventually adding the rest of the ingredients. Mikaela then strained the hot tea into a traditional Japanese teapot, pouring the sweet liquid into a small glass cup. He sat the teapot down and carried the cup back to the young male. Yuichiro quickly looked away, trying not to let the blond see him. "May I sit next to you?" Mikaela asked, watching as the boy slowly nodded, sniffling and trying to wipe his tears away.

The benevolent blond sat the cup in front of the dark-haired boy, smiling softly at him. "Here, try this." He offered fondly, the young male finally glanced up at him. His face was red and stained with tears. Mikaela felt bad for him. He seemed heartbroken. Maybe it was a girl? Or family or friend issues?

"But….I didn't order anything." His voice cracked lightly, tears rolling down from his emerald eyes like those of glass. Mikaela smiled genuinely, resting his chin on the palms of his hands as his elbows sat on the wooden table.

"I know. It's on the house." The blond replied, gazing at the saddened boy.

"….thank you~" The boy smiled gently yet, it quickly faded afterwards. He reached for the china cup, taking ahold of the handle and resting the other side against his palm. The warmth of the tea comforted the boy and he was grateful of the blond who sat next to him. The boy brought the teacup against his soft pink lips, taking a sip of the hot liquid. "mmm~~" His eyes were shimmering as he opened them; appearing as real jewels and that itself had made Mikaela smile brightly. The tea tasted wonderful to him. It had brought more tears to his eyes yet, they were blissful.

"Do you like it?" Mikaela asked, his teeth showing as he laughed happily at the young boy. It made his heart warm up just to see the smiles of his customers. Especially this customer. He seemed different somehow from the rest of them. Mikaela wondered if it had been those emerald glassy eyes that stared directly through him. Or, it could have been his pale soft skin. It was as if the boy was of heavenly descent. Yet, he was alone and broken.

"It's really delicious. I love it! - Oh. My name is Yuichiro by the way. You can call me Yuu though." What a nice name, Mikaela thought. Very unique. Mikaela was happy to hear the trivial bliss in Yuu's voice, relieving him a bit. However, he was still concerned about him. Was he really okay?

"Nice to meet you Yuu. My name is Mikaela. You can call me Mika if you'd like. And I'm glad that you enjoy it. It's my homemade Chai tea. It helps to relieve anxiety and stress. I thought that it may help you…if I may ask….why were you crying earlier?" Mika asked with a troubled tone. He glanced down at the boy's suitcase and back up into his lightly puffed eyes. Yuichiro looked down silently in return, grasping tighter around the warm teacup.

"…"

"It's alright. You don't have to say anything. I was just worried about you." Yuu glanced back up curiously at the blond, whose icy blue eyes made contact with his own. Something about Mika just seemed really relieving to him. Maybe it was his comforting aura? His kind words? His reassuring smile?

"Why were you worried? I'm just a stranger to you…"

"You're not a stranger." Yuu's eyebrows furrowed as the blond said those words. Of course he was a stranger to him. They had just met each other. How could they not have been strangers? "To me, you are a dear customer. It's my duty to make sure that all of my customers are happy and satisfied."

"….." Yuichiro stayed silent, gazing into the boy's cerulean eyes. They had a certain look to them that Yuu had found….quite delightful. He sighed, taking another sip of the chai tea before looking back at Mikaela. "I was crying earlier because…..because….I ran away. I ran away from my home. I wouldn't call it my home though. It never was and never will be…but….now I have nowhere to go. I don't have a family…..I just have….. myself." Yuu's voice shook a bit as he spoke to the blond. His tears were forming once again in his eyes and Mikaela felt pity for Yuichiro. He must have had a hard life. Yet, he ran away and Mika thought that he wasn't too young. He looked as if he was in his early twenties, like himself. And suddenly, Mika smiled. He had a wonderful idea.

"I'm sorry to hear that…well…..if you have no place to go…..you can stay at my place if you'd like?" Mikaela offered to the dark-haired male. Yuichiro quickly looked up at the blond, nearly choking on his tea as he coughed. That had caused Mika to chuckle lightly.

"I just met you! Why would I stay at a stranger's place the first day I met them?!"

"Well…you're not really a stranger. I know that your name is Yuichiro and that you enjoy drinking my Chai tea and that you ran away from home." Mika shrugged, laughing a bit as he looked at the boy. He could understand why Yuu wouldn't accept his offer. Normal people wouldn't accept an offer like that unless they had no other choice. However, Mika did NOT want to leave him on the streets in the cold weather. He could die for all he knew. Or worse.

"We are too strangers! I can't stay with someone that I don't know…"

"Why not?"

"B-because it's common sense!?"

"Well…we can ask each other questions if you'd like. The shop stays open for another hour." Mika suggested with a friendly smile, trying to make Yuu feel more comfortable with the offer. It was highly unlikely for a lot of customers to come in tonight anyways.

"No."

"I have a full fridge and an extra bedroom."

"No."

"You can take a hot shower and sleep in some comfy sheets."

"I'm not staying with you."

"….you have nowhere else to go….." Mikaela added sadly, watching as Yuichiro gazed into his blue eyes. He was right. Yuu had nowhere else to go…and if Mika was actually some crazy murderer…..no one would care if Yuu was to get killed. Not even Guren. He had no family that could care about him. Yuu was all alone. He had no choice and figured that accepting the offer could actually help him. Also….Mika didn't really seem all that bad. He was actually quite kind and seemed like a good person. What did he have to lose?

"...what's your favorite color?" Yuu sighed in defeat, glancing back up at the tall blond whose blue eyes lit up as Yuu spoke.

"Green! What's yours?" Mika smiled brightly towards Yuu. The dark-haired male had finally agreed to Mika's offer. It had filled Mika with delight on both the inside and out. His cheeks were hurting so much from all of the smiling that Yuu was causing him. Mika was glad that he could help him.

The two of them continued on like that for a full hour. Just conversing about each other's lives and hobbies. Yuu learned that Mika loved to read and that he was in college like himself. He also learned that Mika lived in his own apartment and only had a couple of friends that he talked to. Mika just found out basic things about Yuu in return. That his favorite color was blue and that he enjoyed music. Mika also got to know more about his hobbies and that he was also attending college like himself. Yuu had begun to smile more and more throughout their conversation. He felt happy for once in his life and at that very moment in the tea shop with Mika, Guren had started to fade from his memory. All he could think about was Mika and for some reason…..he felt like he had a family.

After that short hour had passed, Mika traveled around his shop, turning everything off and making sure that nothing was running while the two of them were gone. Yuu watched as the blond paced back and forth, hurrying a bit as he quickly removed his apron, placing it on the store's coat hanger. He then walked over to Yuu, reaching into his own pocket as he grabbed the shop key. "Are you ready?" Yuu nodded and stood up off of his chair. He grabbed his suitcase handle, following Mika from behind and out into the cold streets once again. Mika turned around, closing and locking the door before leading Yuu to his car. The blond eventually took ahold of Yuu's suitcase, offering to roll it for him. Yuu had wondered why he was being so nice to him. No one was ever this way with him.

Most people ignored what Yuu had needed help with. That is…if he was around people. Guren normally wouldn't allow him to go anywhwere when he was very young and in his teenage years. Just recently, Guren only allowed him out to attend his college classes. It's not like Yuu had a choice to go out or not. He lived under Guren's house and Guren's rules because he couldn't afford to rent an apartment himself and he didn't have anyone to stay with. Now, with Mika helping him out like this, seemed like a miracle.

Yuu glanced up at Mika from behind, following him to his car. Instantly, Yuu's eyes lit up with excitement. Right before his eyes was Mika's car. Not just any car, but a 2015 Acura NSX. Yuu ran up to the car as Mika started the engine with his keys.

"No freaking way! This is your car?!" Yuu asked, pressing his face against the glass childishly to get a better look of the inside. The dashboard, the roof and some of the interior were all mainly black and most of the covering of the seats were a crimson red. The inside of the car lit up nicely and all of the tints of red reflected in Yuu's emerald eyes. Mika was very much amused. "Wow! It's so cool Mika!"

"Sorry. It's not for sale." He laughed, teasing the excited Yuichiro. It was like Christmas morning for Yuu and to Mika…..it was kind of adorable.

"Like I could pay for this. This baby is worth more than my life! How did you get it?"

"I paid for it with this wonderful currency called money. However, it was kind of a hassle with all the papers to sign and such. Paperwork isn't really a hobby of mine." Mika admitted sarcastically to Yuu.

"Ha-ha." Yuu replied to him, giving Mika a glimpse of his tongue as he walked to the other side of the car. Mika popped open the trunk, lifting Yuu's bag into it as he shut the door and made his way over to the driver's side, glancing through his back window to see Yuu already trying out the radio inside of the car. The blond smiled gently and made his way inside of the car with the dark-haired male. This was going to be a long and interesting drive.


	2. Valerian

Chapter Two

Notes:

Thank you for all of the views you guys! ^ - ^ It really means a lot to me that you all are enjoying my story so far! Mika and Yuu are a couple of cutie pies . And episode 10 killed me, oh my god /

Several minutes later, Mika and Yuu were arriving closer to Mika's apartment. The two of them kept each other entertained by listening to the radio and singing their hearts out to a bunch of 90's hits. Both of them were happy and couldn't help but to laugh at each other's performances. Mika was very amused with Yuu and his adorable little dances that he would perform in the passenger seat next to him. He especially enjoyed Yuu's serious singing voice. It was lovely and his favorite song that Yuu sang along to was "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. Mika couldn't help but to smile gently at every word that the young male sang. He had wondered if Yuu had taken singing lessons at one point. However, he liked to think that Yuu had natural talent and a heavenly angelic voice sent from the all of the shimmering stars in the sky. It was beautiful.

"Are we almost there yet Mika?" Yuu questioned, playing with his messy dark bangs. He was a bit impatient sometimes and couldn't help but to feel slightly anxious since he was going to be staying at Mika's place. He had just met him after all. Maybe he was just anxious because there was a chance that something bad could happen to him. Yet….he couldn't help but to feel that Mika was completely trustworthy.

"Almost. It's just around the corner at the next stoplight." Mika countered, smiling lightly at Yuu. "It's at the Hiiragi Apartment Complex." He added, stopping at the red light as he looked over at Yuu. Yuu had never heard of that apartment complex before. Maybe it was on the outskirts of town? Then again, Yuu was never allowed out very much because of Guren. He probably wouldn't have seen it before. Yet….it sounded a bit familiar to him.

The flashing light soon turned a bright green and Mika took ahold of the wheel once again. He drove around the corner, taking a right as he made his way towards the complex. Yuu immediately leached his body against the door as he stared outside the window in bewilderment. "Whoa! Are you freaking serious?! It's in that huge complex right there?" Yuu pointed out the window as Mika laughed at the skittish male. Mika thought that he must have lived somewhere smaller and away from the outskirts of town. However, with that thought, Mika could enjoy more and more of Yuu's excitement. He was just too adorable sometimes.

"Yeah. That's it haha. It's not that huge though~" Mika teased, wanting to see even more of Yuu's enjoyment. And he did, as soon as Yuu flicked his head over to look at him.

"Not that huge?! It's enormous Mika! What are you? Rich?"

"Something like that. My dad does kind of run his own company. So he feels that since he is far away from home most of the time, then he would pass on some of his income with me. However, I do make at least half of my money myself." Mika informed Yuu, pulling up to the gates of the building. He rolled down his window, reaching out as he scanned his complex card against a dark circular orb that was inside the gate's column. The gates of the complex opened and soon closed after Mika made his way to the parking lot. Yuu had wondered how Mika could make that money since he is only the owner of a tea shop. It did make him think a lot, yet, Yuu didn't want to ask about personal matters.

"Wow. Your dad must be really important." Yuu added, looking back over at Mika. The blond slowly parked into a car space and shut off the engine of his car. He sighed and smiled faintly at Yuu as he pulled the keys out of the ignition.

"…yeah kind of…." Mika replied, opening the driver's side door as he made his way out of the black Acura. Yuu blankly stared at Mika as he stepped out of the car. His expression had seemed different this time when he smiled at Yuu. Maybe Mika wasn't really in good terms with his dad, Yuu thought. The dark-haired male soon followed him out of the car, silently walking over to him.

Mika opened the trunk of his car, pulling Yuu's green suitcase out. He closed the trunk and began leading the two of them to the front lobby of the complex. Many bright yellow lights shone from the large windows, reflecting in Mika's cerulean eyes. Yuu had noticed this and couldn't help but to stare in awe. Mika's eyes were so beaut- wait…., Yuu thought. He figured that thinking about those kinds of things were uncanny and didn't pertain to his certain needs and desires at the moment. After all, he did just run away from home….and…he's never been in an actual relationship before. He had never really found anyone…acceptable for him and he was used to being alone. Yuu just wasn't ready for those types of feelings yet…..not now.

"Are you okay Yuu?" Mika asked, tilting his head curiously at the shorter male as he stared at him. Yuu abruptly looked away and nodded as the two of them entered the apartment complex.

"Yeah! I'm fine…." Yuu responded as they eventually made their way inside. Yuu instantly looked up, gazing at a crystalized shining chandelier. It shimmered brightly in his emerald eyes and as he looked back down, he noticed the glossy tile floor beneath his feet. Fancy pieces of furniture were placed throughout the lobby and there were hardly any other people there besides Mika and Yuu. "You've got to be kidding me. Mika. You aren't secretly a millionaire right?" Yuu asked, feeling overly surprised with everything. There was at least a ninety percent chance that Yuu was dreaming. And he rather felt a bit out of place with his average attire that he had on at the moment. It made him feel a bit uneasy.

Mika chuckled, making his way towards the elevator with Yuu. The two of them entered it and the blond reached out, pressing a floor button that led close to the top of the building. "Well technically, I'm a billionaire." Mika stated and Yuu's eyes instantly enlarged as he gawked at the tall male. The blond burst out laughing in return. "Just kidding." He reassured the dark-haired male, listening the elevator's bell ding. Yuu pouted slightly as Mika teased him. He almost believed him for a bit. Yuu wasn't disappointed though. The two of them walked down the long hallway, passing many apartment doors on the way until Mika stopped at one of them, using his complex card to open the door. Yuu gulped nervously, following the blond into the apartment. Yuu strolled ahead of Mika, dropping his jaw instantly. There was a great front room that had a coat hanger and a place to keep shoes. The living room was vast and held a variety of modern furniture, including a large built-in wall plasma television, a long curved black couch, a crimson red chase, a dark wooden table and many other types of furniture. It just went on and on. There were a variety of college and tea books scattered about the tables and counters. Yuu quickly made his way towards the kitchen, immediately gasping at its beauty as well. A large glass cabinet held many different tea cups. They were all very colorful and had different shapes to them. They glimmered in the dim lighting of the house and the cabinets in the kitchen just added a hint of home to the whole apartment room. Yuu was absolutely amazed. He was absolutely speechless.

After Mikaela removed his shoes, he walked slowly through his home, smiling brightly as he watched Yuu's every expression. Mika just couldn't get enough of him. He was very thankful to have some company in his house. Especially Yuu. He just made Mika really happy for some reason and Mika couldn't understand why. He wanted to know more about the male and wanted him to stay for as long as he wished. However, he knew that Yuu couldn't stay with him forever. Maybe, they could still be friends and hang out a lot after this. "Sorry the house is a mess. You seem to be enjoying everything though haha." Mika laughed, letting go of Yuu's suitcase as he walked over to the dark-haired male.

"It's not messy at all. I really love it Mika. It's already comfortable for me." Yuu admitted, still gazing at the whole house. It was all like a dream to him and he didn't want to wake up from it. Mika was so kind and Yuu was thankful to have met him. However, he still felt a bit bad for bothering the blond. "…hey Mika…...I don't have a lot of money but….I'll still pay you for letting me stay. And if I run out then…I'll do anything you want me to…" Yuu played with his fingers intently, looking down as he spoke sincerely to the blond. Mika blinked as he looked at Yuu. He was a polite person and Mika admired him for that. However, he felt bad for Yuu and he knew that all he had was his suitcase. He had nothing else. Although, Yuu didn't yet realize that now….he had Mika.

"Yuu. You don't have to pay me for anything. Not even for staying." Mika answered, smiling genuinely at him. Yuu slowly looked up and shook his head, disagreeing with the blond completely.

"No. I want to. I'm already bothering you enough as it-"

"Yuichiro." Mika stopped him abruptly, gazing straight into his emerald eyes. Something in Yuu sparked as he heard Mika say his first name. Something….pleasant. Yuu couldn't tell if it was just from Mika's interruption or the look in his cerulean eyes as he reached out to pat Yuu's head lightly. "You aren't bothering me. I enjoy your company very much and I am the one who offered you to stay here with me. You are not paying me to stay here. Your presence here is all the payment that I need. Now…may I show you to your room?" Mika's words were filled with so much compassion and it had hit Yuu hard. Mika was a really wonderful person and Yuu couldn't help but to feel extremely lucky. He had lost all thoughts of Guren completely in this moment. Yuu nodded slowly, as his teary eyes met with Mika's.

As Mika and Yuu walked, Mika kindly pulled Yuu's small suitcase down the hallway for him. The two of them came to a short stop in front of two separated doors. Mika reached for the door on the right, turning the door knob for Yuu. "Here you go. It's pretty spacious, so feel free to look around if you want. My room is right next door if you ever need anything. Okay?" Mika informed Yuu, rolling his suitcase next to the large king bed. Yuu wondered if this was actually a master bedroom. It was so large and Yuu smiled brightly, turning around to look at Mika, who was leaning against the doorframe. Yuu lightly yawned and Mika chuckled. "You seem tired. You should get some sleep. I think I will too since I've had a long day as well." Mika added with a long yawn. Yuu suddenly ran up to the blond, gazing up into his blue eyes.

"W-wait….mika. I just wanted to say…thank you….for letting me stay here with you. It really means a lot. No one else would've done this for me. So I really am thankful. Thank you Mika. So much." Yuu admitted, blushing lightly in his embarrassing words. He really was lucky that Mika came along. He was a real life saver. Yuu could've ended up on the streets if it wasn't for Mika. The blond smiled softly, reaching his hand down to pet Yuu's head.

"You're welcome Yuichiro. Now. You should get some sleep. You deserve it. Good night~" The blond waved to the young male, making his way to his room as he shut Yuu's door behind him. The room was suddenly silent and Yuu made his way over to the large king sized bed. He reached his hands out, feeling the soft fabric of the sheets. He smiled gently, feeling a bit guilty that he could be allowed to sleep in such a luxurious bed.

The dark-haired male slowly began unbuttoning his emerald winter jacket, removing it as he looked for somewhere to hang it up. Yuu walked over to a set of wooden doors, opening them as he found a clothes hanger on a rack. Yuu reached for the hanger, wrapping his jacket around it as he placed it back inside the closet. He then walked back over to the bed, removing his jeans as he laid them next to his suitcase. He was left in his black tee and his grey boxers; Yuu lifted up the sheets, crawling slowly into the large bed. It was rather soft and smelt lightly of lavender. Never once in his life has he been this comfortable. The bed was so warm and Yuu instantly felt at home. He slowly let his eyes close, falling into a deep sleep. And into the night, he dreamt.

 _Young Yuichiro stood in his living room, gazing out of his window at the busy streets beneath him. He wished he could break through the glass and jump down to quickly end his life. His mother had been on the floor, screaming and crying at him for hours now; his father throwing around dishes, shattering nearly all of them. Tears streamed down Yuu's red cheeks as he turned around, watching as his father grabbed a knife and began walking towards him. He treaded as the devil would. Yuu backed away, crying and pleading for his life._

 _"Don't be afraid. I'm taking you to a better place Yuichiro. It will all be over soon…" His father insanely spoke, pointing the knife at Yuu._

 _"Kill him…." His mother cried desperately, watching Yuu's father suddenly sprint towards the boy. Yuu screamed, shutting his eyes as he heard a loud ringing noise. Everything turned black._

Yuichiro quickly sat up, sweating and out of breath. He breathed heavily, looking around the room for anyone. No one was there and he then remembered. He had been given a place to stay with Mika. No one was there to hurt him. Yuu was okay and he sighed in relief as he suddenly realized this. It was just another nightmare, he thought, looking down at his hands which held small tears that had fallen from his emerald eyes. He looked over at the clock on the bedside table. It was two in the morning. The whole house was silent and Yuu laid back down, attempting to fall back asleep. He couldn't.

The young male sat back up once more, rubbing his eyes. It was too early. He just wanted to sleep in peace, but he knew that he could never do that. Not after what happened to him those many years ago. Yuichiro slowly looked around the dark room, noticing a piece of furniture in the corner. Well, at least it looked like a piece of furniture, he thought. He couldn't tell since there was a crimson sheet covering all of it. Yuu furrowed his brows in curiosity, slowly lifting the covers of the bed off of his body. He got up from the bed and began making his way towards the corner of the room. Yuu reached his hand out, grasping ahold of the red sheet. Yuu hesitated, feeling as if he was intruding Mika's belongings….yet….he couldn't hold back the temptation. The red sheet was soon lifted, revealing something that made Yuu's eyes brighten instantly.


End file.
